WSJ's James Taranto Says Zimmerman Simply "Guilty Of Being Male"

The Wall Street Journal's James Taranto argued that George Zimmerman was simply "guilty of being male" when he allegedly threatened his estranged wife with violence. Taranto's tweet echoes his established pattern of dismissing acts of violence against women.

George Zimmerman was taken into police custody on September 9 after his estranged wife told 911 emergency operators that Zimmerman had punched her father and was threatening the lives of her and her family. Zimmerman was later released, and his estranged wife has said she will not press charges.

Wall Street Journal editorial board member James Taranto took to his Twitter account to weigh in on the domestic incident. Linking to a Slate article titled, "Shellie Zimmerman Won't Press Charges Against Her Husband. Alleged Domestic Violence Victims Often Don't," Taranto wrote:

Taranto's characterization of the alleged attack and threats maintains his history of offensive comments regarding women. Taranto previously claimed that efforts to address the epidemic of sexual assault in the military amounted to a "war on men" and an "effort to criminalize male sexuality." He also blamed "female sexual freedom" for a "war on men" and called "contemporary feminism" a "sweet deal for hedonistic men."

Taranto has also spoken out against laws that protect women, dismissing the validity of Roe v. Wade and advocating for GOP-backed "life begins at fertilization" legislation. He has called for "a rebalancing of the burden of proof in sexual-harassment cases," because the current legal structure is "highly indulgent of sexual-harassment allegations."

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Emily Arrowood is an Associate Research Director at Media Matters. Previously, she worked for the Democratic National Committee. She graduated magna cum laude in Political Science from the University of Tennessee and attended Vanderbilt University Law School.

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